Wines and U.S. Customs

[wondersofwine]

Then there was the time when I was working in Germany and bought a tin of duck pate in Strasbourg. I wanted to mail it to a friend in Maryland. I called the military customs office and asked about sending it. I could tell he was reading right off a paper regulation. "Does it have a USDA stamp?" he inquired. I said "No, because I bought it in France." "Then you can't send it because it might not be totally consumed and the remainder in the garbage might be eaten by a dog and the dog's feces might spread contamination"...at this point I started laughing and said "My friend's going to eat it--not throw it in the garbage." He said, "Mam, this is serious." Upshot was, I didn't mail it but carried it with me on the airplane on my next trip to the USA. Customs asked if I had anything to declare and I said a can of duck pate and they waved me through. I gave it to the Maryland friend in person.
(Never heard about any dire epidemic among dogs and people in Maryland resulting).